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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. fine — high quality
  3. sharp — clever
  4. key — the most important part
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. rest — what's left
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. stem — to come from
  9. fine — all right
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. rest — a break
  13. cell — in biology
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. rash — hasty
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. cell — a phone
  18. key — in music
  19. rest — what's left
  20. key — for a lock
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. rash — a series

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com